Lest We Forget

To all who have a Father, listen up! This day has come around too may times with the same, lame old gift! A card and a tie. A sale for items you may think a Father might like. Some tools that may complete a set. A terrible breakfast that must be eaten to appease the “children’s god”. It may sound like someone is being ungrateful, however I urge you to read on.

In this first half of the year, we’ve seen quite a few men pass away.

Muhammad Ali, legendary boxer and social activist

Geordie Howe, the “Father” of hockey

Prince, legendary musician

Joseph Medicine Crow, incredible author

Maurice White of Earth Wind and Fire

Rene Angelia, husband to Celine Dion

Rob Ford, legendary mayor of Toronto

Now you may assume that all of these men are biological fathers because after all, this is a Father’s Day blog post. But not all are, that we know of. But what is quite clear is the appreciation we give them for their merits.

They have changed the way we look at sports, music, literature, government, politics and most importantly, ourselves. They have made us question our integrity, our physical and mental strength, our work ethic, our perseverance and the lens with which we look through life.

Being a true Father means you can only care about that goal! This doesn’t mean you disregard everything else. Actually, it means to stay focused on the goal in spite of everything else. All the aforementioned men had to deal with some type of “hate”. For Ali, it was the government. For Gordie Howe, it was the unknown ceiling of love for a sport. For Prince, it may have been his sexuality and how the world might perceive him. Joseph Medicine Crow battled the stereotypes of First Nations in the ignorant minds of the world. Even for Rob Ford, he had to battle a deadly cancer, hypocritical Politicians and a very scrutinizing world all the while battling for the regular “Joe” taxpayer.

Father’s don’t want gifts. We give gifts. The only gift that is unanimous is the one that lasts in the minds of those who appreciate great memories. These men have all produced great memories.

For all those who put Father’s Day in the same bag as other honourable days, I urge you to think about this next question. Would those days be memorable without the Father’s?